A timeline of the Aaron Schock court saga

Staff

Wednesday

Mar 6, 2019 at 2:19 PMMar 6, 2019 at 4:30 PM

Feb. 2, 2015

The Washington Post publishes an article by style section reporter Ben Terris about the bold decoration of U.S. Rep. Aaron Schock’s Washington, D.C. office, which staffers told Terris was inspired by the “red room in Downton Abbey.” Terris noted the “drippy crystal chandelier” that also would be mentioned in Schock’s federal indictment nearly two years later. The article, and the efforts by Schock and his then-communications director to kill the story, raised questions about who would pay for such lavish decorating expenses.

Feb. 5, 2015

Schock’s communications director Ben Cole resigns after media reports about racially charged posts on social media. Cole, a “senior adviser” to Schock, was prominently featured in the Washington Post article and would later be interviewed by a federal grand jury.

Feb. 24, 2015

Schock hires a team of lawyers and public relations professionals following a bombshell report by The Associated Press that Schock used taxpayer and campaign funds for personal travel and entertainment expenses, a conclusion reached, in part, by cross referencing his reimbursement requests with posts to his social media accounts.

Schock announces his resignation, effective March 31, calling his time in Congress the “highest and greatest honor I have had in my life.”

June 4, 2015

Federal agents execute a search warrant at Schock’s Peoria offices, loading files, at least one computer and other office equipment into FBI trucks as a grand jury continues to review the case in Springfield.

Oct. 7, 2015

Prosecutors say Schock is “grandstanding” in a back-and-forth over whether certain documents would be included in the investigation. Schock turned over thousands of documents, many more were seized by investigators, and prosecutors continued to ask for more. After a judge’s review, Schock produced an additional 16 financial documents.

June 8, 2016

Schock raised eyebrows when he exercised his lifetime House floor privileges to attend a speech by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whom Schock first met in 2013. As the federal inquiry loomed, Schock told a Journal Star reporter on the scene, “In hindsight, could I have done things better? Sure. ... But that doesn’t make me a criminal. Heck, I wouldn’t have had so many people working for me, so many third-party compliance people, if I wasn’t trying to follow the rules.”

Nov. 10, 2016

A 24-count indictment filed in federal court includes charges of wire fraud, falsification of Federal Election Commission filings, mail fraud, theft of government funds, making false statements and filing a false tax return. All are felonies that carry sentences of up to 20 years in prison. Schock, members of his legal team and his family schedule a pre-emptive news conference at Peoria Heights Village Hall, where Schock said he was eager for the chance to defend himself in court.

March 28, 2017

Court papers filed indicate a "junior" staffer in Schock's office acted as a federal informant for months, providing documentation used in building the federal case, a move Schock's lawyers argue was improper.

Oct. 3, 2017

U.S. District Judge Colin Bruce orders prosecutors to detail any additional "falsehoods" or "misstatements" after they admit that prosecutors remarked 11 times during grand jury interviews about Schock's decision not to testify before the panel — something they had previously denied.

Oct. 23, 2017

Bruce tosses two of the 22 charges in the case on technical grounds.

July 2, 2018

Schock's legal team asks the U.S. Supreme Court to review whether or not separation-of-powers issues in the Constitution would negate charges in the case. This follows appeals to the trial judge and appellate court on the question. The court said last month the case could proceed, but that Schock could continue to make that argument as things moved forward.

Aug. 17, 2018

Bruce is removed from hearing Schock's case, and all other criminal cases in his Urbana courtroom, over claims he talked to members of the U.S. Attorney's office about a separate and unrelated case while that one was in progress. It's later reassigned to a Chicago-based judge.

Aug. 31, 2018

The Justice Department reassigns the case to prosecutors in the Chicago-based Northern District of Illinois, away from Springfield prosecutors in the Central District who have had the case since the inception. The new team promises a thorough review before moving forward on the case, which is eventually set for a June 2019 trial date.

March 5, 2019

Federal prosecutors drop all charges against Schock, who enters into a deferred prosecution agreement with prosecutors.

Never miss a story

Choose the plan that's right for you.
Digital access or digital and print delivery.